1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device, a method and a program for controlling printing, and a device, a method and a program for forming image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a printing system where a PC (personal computer) and a printer are connected on a network such as a LAN, the PC can transmit a printing job to the printer via the network to be printed by the printer.
However, there are cases that are not desirable from the standpoint of keeping confidentiality of printed matters as printed matters can be exposed to the eyes of third parties between the time the user transmits a printing job from the PC to the printer and the time when the printed matters are picked up.
In order to solve this problem, a technology has been proposed wherein a password is issued for a printing data at a PC, the particular printing data and the password are transmitted to a printer, and the printing data is printed on paper only when said password is keyed into the printer (e.g., Unexamined Publication No. JP-A-5-221089).
In the abovementioned conventional art, however, the user in some cases may wish to obtain printed matters quickly without spending time and effort to obtain passwords, so that it is necessary to specify a normal printing mode which does not require a password. In this case, although the user can obtain printed matters quickly, confidentiality may be compromised since the particular printing data are saved in such a manner that does not require passwords for reprinting, if it is required to save printing data after processing. On the other hand, if a secure printing mode is specified and a password is set up for assuring confidentiality, the user has to spend some time in front of the printer wasting time, as the printer does not start to print until the password is keyed into the printer.